Happy Tuesday. An Alabama Republican says the GOP's hardline stance on immigration isn't going to hurt the party. In fact, he says the Democrats are hurting themselves with white voters who still make up the biggest percentage in the country. "This is a part of the war on whites that's being launched by the Democratic Party. And the way in which they're launching this war is by claiming that whites hate everybody else," Rep. Mo Brooks told radio host Laura Ingraham. "It's part of the strategy that Barack Obama implemented in 2008, continued in 2012, where he divides us all on race, on sex, greed, envy, class warfare, all those kinds of things. Well that's not true." [

Sen. John Valentine, former Senate president and architect of Utah's liquor laws, will leave the Senate to head the Utah Tax Commission. [

Trib

] [

DNews

] [

Herald

] [

UtahPolicy

]

-> A must read: Great on-the-ground and in-the-air story by Matt Canham on Rep. Elijah Cummings' visit to Rep. Jason Chaffetz's district that was meant to help educate the Maryland Democrat about issues facing the rural West. [

Trib

] See also: [

DNews

]

-> A witness in the trial of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and First Lady Maureen McDonnell said the latter tried to convince Mitt and Ann Romney of the health benefits of Antabloc and said it would help Ann Romney's MS. [

WaPost

]

Tweet of the day:

From @

alvarezmark

: "Congressional themes: Incumbents: I am not like people in D.C. Challengers: I am not like people in D.C."

From @

RepCummings

: "I'm learning more about public lands, and seeing them firsthand, today in Utah. Bipartisanship is not a bad word."

Happy Birthday:

To Intermountain Communications President Aaron Walker and Minnesota's Kate Jorges.

In other news:

Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox and SL Co. Mayor Ben McAdams plan to crash into each other for charity on Saturday in a demolition derby match. [

Trib

]

-> Rep. Steve Handy says it's time to move the state fair park closer to where the ag community is and stop taking up prime real estate for a once-a-year event. [

UtahPolicy

]

-> A new Utah commission is looking at how to close the gender pay gap in Utah, where women earn 30 percent less than men in the workforce. [

Trib

]

-> Syracuse University is the nation's top party school while BYU claims the title of stone cold sober for the 17th year. [

Trib

]

-> The public is invited to tour Utah's new federal courthouse today from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. [

Trib

]

-> Lisa Nentl-Bloom is the new executive director of the Utah Education Association. [

Trib

]

Nationally:

Congress has left Washington for a five-week break, though it shouldn't really be congratulated for getting anything done. [

Politico

]

-> Former White House Press Secretary James Brady, who was wounded during the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan and became a driving force in gun control, died Monday. He was 73. [

WaPost

] [

Politico

]

-> Some 51 African leaders -- many heads of state -- are in Washington for the first such large conference with President Barack Obama. For D.C. residents, the street closures and myriad motorcades are making commuting difficult but just for fun, take a look at some of the presidential suites around town where some leaders are staying. [

WaPost

]

Where are they?

Rep. Jason

Chaffetz

appears on MSNBC's Morning Joe with Rep. Elijah Cummings, meet with US Travel officials and flies to Seattle for an event with congressional candidate Pedro Celis.Rep. Chris

Stewart

travels to St. George, appears on KZNU radio, speaks at the Southern Utah Homebuilders Association, meets with Iron County Commissioners, visits Upper Limits Aviation and holds a townhall meeting at the Ivins Veteran Home .Gov. Gary

Herbert

hits an early budget meeting, chats with SL Co. Mayor Ben McAdams and sits down with the Governor's Economic Council.Lt. Gov. Spencer

Cox

hits an early budget meeting, visits the Department of Human Services and heads to the Governor's Economic Council meeting.SL Co. Mayor Ben

McAdams

hits the County Council meetings and sits down with Gov. Gary Herbert.President Barack

Obama

lunches with Vice President Joe Biden, speaks at the U.S.-Africa Business forum, sits down with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and later hosts a dinner for all the visiting African leaders at the White House.

Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at

cornflakes@sltrib.com

. If you haven't already, sign up for our weekday email and get this sent directly to your inbox. [

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